Will all the magnificent creatures soon be gone?

To the editor:

When the wild horses were chosen to be Nevada's state symbol on our state quarter, I predicted that this might be the only wild horses Nevadans would ever see. My predication is coming true.

The BLM is proposing to euthanize -- no "kill" -- our wild horses. When the question was asked regarding what methods were being considered, the answers were:

-- An overdose of barbiturates.

-- A bullet to the head.

-- A captive bolt to the brain (a bolt is what's used in slaughter houses).

BLM officials say they cannot manage the large numbers (approximately 30,000 wild horses are housed in BLM "holding pens" ). You call this "management"? When has the BLM ever managed wild horses?

Now the BLM doesn't have the budget to feed and/or care for their needs. They say they use round-ups to help the "starving" and ill horses. If you've ever had the opportunity to see wild horses in the open or on TV, do they look starving and sick to you? I want Nevadans and people everywhere to be as outraged at this proposal as I am.

The BLM claims their budget was cut and "euthanizing" is the only alternative they could come up with. How much does it cost for the helicopters and cowboys/contractor round-ups? Have they considered a fertility program?

The BLM is supposed to "manage" our wildlife, not kill it. Unless the American people stand-up on behalf of wildlife, you may very well have a hard time sighting any, anywhere. Yellowstone bison are being slaughtered (1,600 this year alone) by the great state of Montana with the help and assistance of the National Park Service because they leave Yellowstone on a migratory path they have followed for centuries. The excuse is that bison carry a disease called "brucellosis" which has never been proven but that hasn't stopped the slaughter.

The delisting of certain species puts other wildlife in danger as well.

All these magnificent animals were here before the white man. Some survived near extinction but in the year 2008 government agencies work for the ranchers, farmers, oil, coal and mining industries and not the citizens. We, the people, need to hold our government agencies accountable and stand-up not only for wildlife but also the ground we walk on, the air we breath, the water we use, the price of gas, the cuts in government, state and local programs, etc.

This latest proposal by the BLM should be stopped in its tracks and people need to voice their disgust. When we sit back and do nothing, nothing gets done and if nothing gets done, the Nevada quarter may be the only place to see a wild horse.

Connie Brady

LAS VEGAS